


Shared History

by GalaxyRise489



Category: X-Men (Alternate Timeline Movies), X-Men - All Media Types
Genre: AU, Future, M/M, Reincarnation, They don’t actually die in the end, Timelines, US Civil War, US Colonial Era, historical setting, medieval era, time loops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-01
Updated: 2019-12-01
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:00:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21628006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalaxyRise489/pseuds/GalaxyRise489
Summary: Charles and Erik realize that they are the newest incarnations of a tragic loop that has been going on for all of human history. They travel through Erik’s memories of his past self, and Charles’s past self. And ultimately make a commitment to end the loop by working together.
Relationships: Erik Lehnsherr/Charles Xavier
Comments: 4
Kudos: 10
Collections: Secret Mutant Exchange 2019





	Shared History

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TriffidsandCuckoos](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TriffidsandCuckoos/gifts).



**[FUTURE]**

“Erik” Charles said, extreme concern, almost fear, plastered on his face “what is Magneto?” He said the name awkwardly, like he was trying to remember something he hadn’t heard in a long time. 

They were seated in Erik’s home a short walk from the academy where they both lectured. Once again in the middle of a heated debate. Charles wasn’t sure when the question came from, something on the edge of his consciousness, or perhaps Erik’s. 

A dam broke in Erik’s mind, visions, no, memories of him and Charles, but they couldn’t be. He had only met Charles in the past decade. These were ancient memories in some cases. Uprisings, wars, attempts at friendship, always ending in torment. 

“Ch..Charles.” Erik stammered “I’m not sure what just happened, but I need you to look into my mind.” 

Charles looked at the taller man, “you, what?” Erik was always hesitant to let Charles into his head, and almost never asked for it outright. Erik grabbed his hand and placed it against the side of his head and a flood of images poured through the connection.

**[MEDIEVAL EUROPE]**

Erik sat in the communal hut with all the other workers, listening to them but not really hearing what they were staying. He caught the occasional words about rebellion, running away, and fighting. 

Lord Xavier treated them well, but there were murmurs of other workers rising up against their masters. Erik had spoken to Lord Xavier a few times, the other man was a mutant like himself, so they had discussed Mutant politics. Erik’s mother had been a human, and her children, and her children’s children were sworn into servitude to the Xaviers. 

Aside from his mutation, which made tilling the fields simple, Erik was viewed as one of the harder workers. If there was a task that Lord Xavier needed in the house, he was trained culturally enough that he could attend to guests, or service meals. He kept himself in good appearance, or as good as a field hand could. 

“Erik” Scott, one of the house workers said, popping his head into the hut, “the Lord wishes to speak to you at the main house.” 

Several workers turned to look at Erik, who was just as confused as they were. 

“Now” Scott said urgently. 

Erik followed Scott up the path to the castle, wiping his hands on his shirt to clean them. Typically he bathed, or at least jumped into the creek, before going to the main house, especially to meet with the Lord. 

Scott led him to the door of Lord Xavier’s library and then stopped. Erik picked up on the cue, he was expected to go in himself. 

He knocked on the door and was greeted by Lord Xavier’s calm voice “Come in.” Erik opened the door and bowed, waiting for direction from the Lord. “Stand up, Erik, you needn’t bow every time I call for you. Come, sit. I wished to discuss some matters with you.”

“I wouldn’t want to damage the furniture, my Lord, I didn’t have time to clean when Scott summoned me.” 

“When I summoned you” Xavier chuckled, “And I’m not concerned about the chair. Sit.” 

Erik did as requested, and sat in the chair opposite Lord Xavier. He paused, bowing his head slightly, waiting for his Lord to start the discussion.

“No need to be so formal, Erik. I was growing bored with reading and wished to speak with you about the riots.” 

Erik looked up quickly “I’m not-“ he paused and looked back down “Pardon, my Lord, what I mean to say is, I have not been involved with any of those.” 

“Erik, please drop the formalities. It does annoy me that we must sit for an hour with you acting a nervous wreck before we can begin discussions.” Xavier reached out and placed a hand on Erik’s shoulder. “I wasn’t accusing you of being involved, I wondered what you thought of them.” 

“My Lord, I mean, Sir-“ 

“Charles will do” 

“Er, Charles” the name felt foreign on Erik’s tongue in all the times he had spoken with Xavier, never had the man asked to be called by his given name “why are we keeping our own in servitude? I know my mother was a human, but I am not. There are dozens, hundreds maybe, like me. Born to be greater, but subjected to the chains of our forefathers.” 

Xavier laughed, “Born to be greater? You mean a birthright for being a mutant?” 

“That is exactly what I mean!” Erik leveled his gaze, “we should not be subject, any of us, to the systems of the humans. To lordship and servitude. We should rule, all of us, over them.” 

“Be cautious speaking like that, Erik. I will not take any action against you, but if word gets out, I cannot stop the other Lords in this area, especially the Human ones, from taking action. Even if you are not leading anyone, it will be the assumption.” Xavier shook his head, uncertain of how to proceed. He stood and turned his back to Erik, before walking to a table and pouring two chalices of wine. He turned back and placed them on the small table between them. “For you.” 

“My L- Charles,” Erik froze, looking at the wine before him, it was forbidden to have such casual interactions with the Lord. 

“Are you disobeying your Lord, Erik?” Xavier asked seriously, then broke into a grin, “Drink. No one is here to judge you, and I don’t want to drink alone.” 

Erik glanced at the chalice, and reached out with his power to feel the metal. It hummed in a way the field tools and the metal girders of the huts didn’t. It was a soft, gentle melody, while the others were harsh and abrupt. He took control of the chalice and carefully brought it over to him. 

They laughed and debated and talked through the night, and Charles gave Erik the following day to recover, in a guest room in the house. 

Then, less than a week later, the raids came to the Xavier lands. Workers stormed the fields, setting fire to everything in their path, and when they made it to the Manor, Xavier did not fight them. 

Erik saw the smoke before he knew what was going on, and by the time he reached the main house, it was ablaze. It was an old house, built by the most skilled stone masons of their time. There was little metal for Erik to grab onto, to move, to clear a path. “Charles” he screamed, knowing it was in vain and that his Lord would not hear him. 

He charged headlong into the flames, and could feel the burn of the flames touching his skin. His trouser legs were mostly gone, as he shook flame after flame off. His tunic was in similar tatters, and the smoke was causing him difficulties breathing. Slowly the blackness crept in and yet he continued to drag himself toward where he thought Xavier’s library was. The fire was lessend in this wing of the manor, and Erik could breathe again. Finally he could feel the metal in the room and used the promise of it to propel himself forward. 

When he finally forced the doors open, Erik immediately wished he hadn’t. Xavier stared at him blankly, and for a moment Erik was confused at the lack of emotion. Until he realized Xavier’s eyes stared out from a head that was not connected to a body. 

**[COLONIAL AMERICA]**

“Master Charles, I have finished my writing.” Alexander said as he walked to the desk at the front of the schoolhouse. Their small village had only 8 school aged children, and Charles was the only one in the village who had formal schooling, so he had become their teacher. Before coming to America, he had attended Oxford, and was more than happy to pass on the love of learning to a new generation. 

Truthfully, Charles wasn’t the only learned man in the village, but everyone feared the other. Erik was a loner, spent months at a time traveling to distant cities and towns seeking… in fact no one knew what he was seeking, but rumors were aplenty that he was working with witches and other heretics. Charles had never directly asked the other man what he did, but they did have spirited discussions on occasion. 

Erik had recently returned from a trip to Williamsburg, and when the students filed out of the schoolhouse for lunch, Charles found himself following them, and then walking to Erik’s house. 

“I heard you were back, my friend” he said through the open window. Erik poked his head through the window and grinned at Charles. 

“I am.” He opened the door and gestured for the other man to come in. “I must tell you what I found in Virginia. I think it will interest you.” 

Charles walked in, checking to make sure no one saw him before closing the door. “I am eager to hear about it.” 

Erik was a taller man, with golden red hair that he always kept pulled back. Charles envied him, as he needed to keep his own hair shorter for the wig he donned while teaching. Erik had no such expectations thrust upon and and even if he did, he would ignore them. Erik was his own man, it was one of the things Charles liked about him. 

One of the things, because Charles harbored thoughts about Erik that he could not reveal to anyone, least of all to Erik. Thoughts that would get him or both of them killed, or worse, imprisoned. Thoughts that were not proper for the master of the schoolhouse to have about the town hermit who may or may not be dabbling in witchcraft. 

“I found another man with powers, Charles. Like us.” Erik said, pulling Charles out of his thoughts. 

“Hush Erik.” Charles admonished “We needn’t let people hear us speaking so openly of powers. They already suspect you of indecent things. Now what did you find?” 

“He can, well I’m not exactly sure, but they can’t kill him. He always recovers.” Erik looked to the window, ensuring no one was outside. “They’ve tried to kill him a dozen times, or more!” He paused, smirking, “and they suspect me of indecent things because I am an indecent man. Surely you’ve noticed that Charles.” 

“I…” Charles looked at the ground “I have.” He wasn’t sure what Erik was talking about, but he was indecent in many ways. 

“And I think you are indecent as well.” The words had meaning beyond an interest in witchcraft and special powers. “You can see my mind. You know what I think.” 

Charles gasped “Erik, you know I don’t go into your mind! You’ve asked me not to, and I haven’t.” 

Erik nodded. “I still think you are the same as I am, Charles. You just hide your proclivities beneath your wig and robes.” He featured toward the shorter man. 

“I am not hiding anything, and I don’t know what you are talking about.” Charles reached up and removed his wig. “I’m just not the one out there looking for others with powers.” 

“No, Charles, you simply hide yours and allow them to burn any who are discovered at the stake. Our kind Charles. And you let them die.” Erik stood but was stopped by a hand on his wrist. 

Charles was on the verge of tears “Do you truly think so little of me, my friend. There are 2 students who are like us, I’ve been working with them to further gain control. I am not letting our kind die.” He pulled Erik to sit back down. “And I’m not hiding anything, I just have a scarce few people to share myself with.” 

“You always have me.” Erik said, laying his hand atop Charles’s. “For whatever you need, whatever you want.” 

Charles turned his hand over and laced his fingers with Erik’s. He looked up and smiled softly. “Thank you, my friend.” 

Erik’s eyes widened in shock. He mostly expected Charles to pull away certainly didn’t expect him to return any affection. 

“It is nearly the end of the lunch breaks. May I return when the lessons conclude for the day?” 

“I hope you will.” 

Charles was distracted for the remainder of the school day. He could still feel Erik’s hand warm on top of his own. He began to worry as the thought on it more and more. He was nearly 25 and did not have a wife, or even a woman in town that he was courting. Neither did Erik, though that wasn’t as much of a surprise given the transient nature of the other man. He found Erik intriguing, and yes, if he were being entirely honest, not unattractive. Erik’s words about being indecent, could they mean that he was interested in male company? But if he made an overture and was wrong, if Erik outed his… Charles paused. Erik wasn’t too terribly far away, perhaps if he reached out he could feel Erik’s mind. Find out what he was thinking, and just how indecent he was. 

_ Erik sat in his room,  _ Charles knew he was in his thoughts now because he could only see Erik’s point of view.  _ He looked down at his hands before standing up and slamming the side of a fist into the wall. “I’ve frightened him off” He looked out the window at the school house, “Of course he isn’t going to come back now. Now that I’ve given myself up as wanting him.” He tore off his tunic and sat back down on the bed. He was tired, and Charles was not coming back.  _

Charles pulled out of Erik’s mind undetected, his determination set to return to Erik’s once the students left. Which was not for another painful hour. Charles spent the hour reflecting on the lean, muscular arms that he saw in Erik’s mind, on what Erik would do if he walked in and captured the other man’s mouth with his own. What it would feel like to have Erik pinned beneath him on the bed. 

Finally, the sun sank low enough that Charles could release the children, reminding Alex and his younger brother Scott to practice their extra lessons. He forced himself to walk calmly to the edge of the town, and then ran to Erik’s door. He knocked as he let himself in. “Erik?” He was surprised that the other man was not in his sitting room, before remembering what he saw in Erik’s mind. “Erik” he said again, louder as he walked toward the bedroom. He pushed the door open and saw Erik splayed on his back, a gaping hole in his chest, and blood all around him. Charles gasped and turned from the room, unable to bear looking at the murdered body of the man he had just come to realize that he loved. Just before he exited the house, he picked up a bag containing Erik’s journals of his travels. Perhaps if Erik couldn’t continue his mission, Charles could do it for him. He did, after all, have Alexander and Scott to help him. 

**[AMERICAN CIVIL WAR]**

“Run along and make sure the slaves are all in the fields” Charles muttered to himself, mocking his mother’s voice as he trudged down the dirt path from the house to the fields. Unlike many of the land owners, the Xavier’s lands were separated by roads and adjoined with other lands. Namely the Lehnsherr lands. Charles’s granddaddy had sold off a large portion of land to the Lehnsherrs when Charles was a baby. It allowed Charles to live the stately life that he enjoyed, but meant that his inheritance was less. 

Charles’s daddy did not like Mr. Lehnsherr, resented the deal that their daddies had made, but Charles got along well enough with Erik, the young Lehnsherr master who was only a few years older than him. 

The Lehnsherrs did not keep slaves, but used free blacks and hired hands to work their fields. Erik and Charles often debated about the slave’s role in the economy, and whether it was moral to keep them. Charles was pondering this argument as he walked down the road, and did not notice another figure on the road until they collided. 

“Erik!” Charles gasped, picking up the other man’s book from the dirt, “I’m sorry, I didn’t see you there. Lost in my own mind and all that.” 

Erik stood up and grinned, “your momma have you checking on the fields too? I told her we pay someone to make sure they are being worked, but no, I need to go check myself. Builds character my momma said.” Erik took his book back from Charles. 

“We have an overseer as well” Charles said softly, “but my daddy wants me to know how to run the plantation. Makes it easier to marry me off to some lady I guess. Don’t really want to marry a lady anyway.” He paused and Erik noticed his ears turn a bit red, “I mean I don’t want to get married at all’s what I mean.” 

“My daddy said I need to start courtin’ a wife too. Told him I wont be courtin’ anyone, much less a wife.” He rubbed his head, “got hit pretty hard for that.” 

Charles and Erik had been playing together since they were children, but as they grew older their playing turned into reading and spending time in each other's company. Charles’s younger sister had taken a liking for Erik, only to be ignored by the man. She once joked that if she didn’t know better, she would think Erik was courting Charles. 

“My momma doesn’t expect me back until lunch, want to walk to the river?” Charles asked. 

Erik laughed and offered his arm, “Lead the way.” 

They walked through the fields and then through the woods to the edge of the river and sat, leaning against one another, under a tree. 

“I think the war is coming our way, heard some people talking about it in town.” Erik said suddenly. 

Charles nodded, he had heard muttering of war as well. People from the northern states trying to come take their slaves from them. “Ain’t no one takin my family’s slaves, that’s why there’s war, Erik. People come riding in here, trying to take my family’s property, they’ll be facing some trouble.” 

Sighing, Erik shook his head, they had argued this point more times than he cared to count. “My family does just fine paying our workers, Charles. There’s no reason yours couldn’t too.” He draped an arm over the smaller man’s shoulder. “I just don’t see why everyone can’t give everyone else what they are due.” 

“What my family is due, is our property rights. Some of them have been in my family for three generations. They’re ours.” Charles’s words were harsh, but he rested his head on Erik’s shoulder. “And if the Army comes calling for men, I’ll be joining up.” 

Erik pulled back so quickly that Charles hit his head on the tree. “Charles! No. Please tell me you won't be doin’ that. I’m not joining that Army to fight to keep slaves. I’ll go north if I have to. Fight alongside them. Come with me.” 

Charles scoffed at him, “You have nothing to lose by losing. I have my entirely family name, my ancestry, my home.” He stood up and looked back toward the fields, “Goodbye Erik.” 

Erik watched him walk away and waited until he could no longer see him before he allowed tears to fall. “Goodbye Charles.” 

They were right, and war did come to their town not two months later. Erik kept good on his word and fled to New York to join up with the Army of the United States. Charles never had a chance to say goodbye beyond their last meeting at the river. He went the next day to join the fight while his momma cried and his daddy clapped him on the back. 

Nearly a year later, Erik’s unit was camped along the edge of a field somewhere in Pennsylvania. He couldn’t sleep due to the anxiety of the upcoming battle, so he walked into the woods, the moon and stars providing just enough light to walk without tripping. He gripped his pistol in his hand, wary of any rebel scouts who might be in the woods. He heard a branch snap behind him and whirled around, gun outstretched. “I’ll shoot! Who are you.” 

A soldier in blue walked forward, “Stay back” Erik said “I mean it, I’ll shoot.” 

“You would do that. my friend?” the soldier stepper closer and Erik lowered his gun. 

“Charles? Charles Xavier.” 

“Erik Lehnsherr, I never thought I would see you again.” Charles strode forward and captured Erik in a strong embrace. “You left without saying goodbye.” 

Erik lowered his face into Charles’s hair “You would have tried to convince me to stay.” 

“Damn right I would have” Charles said into Erik’s neck. “Are they treating you well? The Yanks? God I missed you Erik.” 

“The Army’s treating me fine Charles. Looks like war made you grow up some, you have a beard now.” Erik pulled a bit of hair at his chin for emphasis. “I’ve missed you too. I wish you would have come north with me.” 

Charles looked behind him into the woods. “Let’s just go then. Stop fighting. Leave the armies and go.” 

Erik shook his head. “I can’t leave now. I have to join my men in this battle. I can’t leave them.” 

Charles gasped. He did not expect Erik to reject his offer to run away. Everyone was going to die in this war, whether tomorrow or a year from now. If they did not leave now, they would never see each other again. 

And when the sun set on the battlefield the next day, the commanders of both armies were sending letters to a small town in Maryland informing mothers and fathers of how their sons died honorably defending their cause. 

The day the letters arrived, the Xaviers and Lehnsherrs dined together, in remembrance and honor of their sons’ friendship. 

**[BEFORE LOGAN]**

Charles shook violently as he came down off yet another seizure. Erik held his shoulders down, preventing him from moving off the bed. 

“So many lives” Charles said, looking Erik in the eyes. It had been a long time since Charles was coherent enough to have a conversation, much of his speaking was unintelligible rambling. “I saw us, old friend, living, fighting, dying.” 

Erik looked down in shock. Most days Charles didn’t recognize him, so the reference to him as an old friend meant they might be able to talk. The older man removed his helmet- he hated wearing it now, after all it had come to represent between them, but it was the only way to keep him safe from Charles’s episodes. He had already caused the accidental death of nearly a dozen mutants, but Erik could not bring himself to leave the other man alone. “Charles, what did you see?”

“I saw us, Erik. We’ve been together since the dawn of man. Always fighting, always dying.” ‘ _ Put the helmet back on, it’s not safe for me to be in here’, _ he added telepathically. 

“I trust you, Professor.” Erik replied, placing his hand on top of the helmet. ‘ _ I trust you, even if it means I need to die at your side’, he thought.  _

**[FUTURE]**

The telepath pulled his hand back and placed it against his own forehead, blinking away the start of a migraine. He wasn’t a great lord, or a member of an army, those visions didn’t make sense. “Erik, what was that?” 

“Memories. Our memories I think. Or my memories of us. I don’t know.” In truth, Erik was barely comprehending these new memories himself. He knew what Magneto was now, to answer Charles’s question. It was him, in a past life, Charles’s worst enemy, but also his closest friend. And in a life before that, and before that, as long as history had existed, and maybe even before then. One or both of them had wound up dead by the other’s actions each time. Charles, the intelligent if slightly naive lecturer, had led armies, fought in great battles, led a historic integration of mutants into society, had been a household name, someone to aspire to. While he had, in almost every timeline, ended up on the wrong side of history. “We have been living out the same story for centuries.” 

“Erik, we’ve been living it for millennia. The same argument we had this morning, the points we both bring up in lectures, we’ve had those same arguments dozens of times in the past. And we always lose. Both of us always lose. Magneto is- was you. In a past life. One where we-” he trailed off, not trusting himself to say the words. 

“One where we loved one another.” Erik finished for him. 

Charles gaped at him “we’ve loved one another in every timeline, Erik. I think that last timeline might have been the only one where we actually we able to be together, even if I was not really there in the end.” He looked at his friend, his counterpart, the man he was afraid to admit he loved. “I wondered why I was so drawn to you the first time we me at that debate. It is because I have loved you before. Since the beginning of time.” 

“You” Erik stammered uncharacteristically, “You were drawn to me?” Erik recalled that first debate, nearly 10 years ago. They were both new lecturers at the academy, barely graduates themselves. Two students were debating the role mutants ought to take in sharing their new technology with humanity. Charles was firmly on one side, and he was on the other. And they got a drink after and continued the debate themselves. “You mean to tell me that I could have made a move at any time over the past many years, and you wouldn’t have rejected me?” Erik turned bright red, all the way down to his collarbone. “I am an idiot.” 

Charles stared at Erik, struck by his admission. He harbored feelings for the other man, but never thought he could act on them. “I believe we have both been idiots, old friend. As I too thought you would rebuke my advances. Perhaps we can try what our past selves were unable to do.”

“But how” Erik said, barely louder than a whisper “when we’ve tried and failed all those times.” He looked at the floor “What makes us different?”

Charles looked up sharply “The memories for one. We know what we’ve done wrong, we can use that. We’ve been enemies just as often as friends.” He shook his head, yes, he shared a spirited argument with Erik quite often, but they were by no means enemies. Warring lecturers, perhaps, academic rivals, certainly, but not enemies in the way their past selves had been. Never taking up arms against one another. “We could compromise. Now, I mean.” Charles held Erik’s gaze and continued, “They, we, the past us, were never able to. In at least a few of the memories that led almost directly to our deaths. How would you feel about co producing a series? And not a debate series. One where we come up with the lectures together. There must be enough material we can agree on, between history, philosophy, and mutant development.” 

“If we can come to terms with what we agree on, I think we might actually be able to avoid untimely deaths this round.” Erik took a sip of his scotch, almost forgotten on the table. “How do I feel about producing a series? I think we might frighten the students and guests if we actually pull it off.” 

Charles laugher and took a sip of his own forgotten scotch, “Think about the minds we could influence if we worked together. I hope I’m not being arrogant by saying we are the two best attended lecturers at the academy.” 

“You’re not. It’s true.” Erik cut in “You beat me last year, but I had you the one before.” 

They finished their drinks and Erik could see the look of exhaustion across Charles’s features “We can start work on the series tomorrow.” He said as he walked to the door with the other man “I’ll even let you bring me to dinner before. Pick me up at 6.” 


End file.
